What Does Art Mean?
The meaning of art is shaped by the intentions of the artist as well as the feelings and ideas it engenders in the viewer.
The meaning of art is often culturally specific, shared among the members of a given society and dependent upon cultural
context. The purpose of works of art may be to communicate political, spiritual or philosophical ideas, to create a sense of
beauty (see aesthetics), to explore the nature of perception, for pleasure, or to generate strong emotions. Its purpose may also
be seemingly nonexistent.
The nature of art has been described by philosopher Richard Wollheim as “one of the most elusive of the traditional problems of
human culture.” It has been defined as a vehicle for the expression or communication of emotions and ideas, a means for
exploring and appreciating formal elements for their own sake, and as
mimesis or representation. More recently, thinkers influenced by Martin
Heidegger have interpreted art as the means by which a community
develops for itself a medium for self-expression and interpretation.
Art, in its broadest sense, is a form of communication. It means
whatever the artist intends it to mean, and this meaning is shaped by
the materials, techniques, and forms it makes use of, as well as the
ideas and feelings it creates in its viewers . Art is an act of expressing
feelings, thoughts, and observations.